Turbine and condenser unit



Oct. 18, 1932. R. c. ALLEN 1,882,599

TURBINE AND CQNDENSER UNIT Filed Feb. 28, 19 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY Oct. 18, 1932. I R. c. ALLEN 1,382,699

TURBINE AND CONDENSER UNIT Filed Feb. 28. 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Year-.21 C. ELLE-H.

ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 18 1932" UNITED ST TES PATENT- ore-ice;

. .RoBnRr 'AnLnN, on swAR'rHMoRE, PENNSYLVANIA, AssrGn'oR TO wnsrmenousn ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING CoMrANY, n- CORPORATION or PENNSYLVANIA TURBINE AND CONDENSER unrr- Application filed reb ar zs, 1931-. Serial No. 519,030.

My invention relates toa turbine and condenser construction, and it has for'itsobject to balance the atmospheric pressures on the turbine and on the condenser, so that the condenser may be supported independently of. 4 the turbine and connected to theturbine casing by a flexible joint permitting independent expansion and contraction Withtemperature changes.

pose two vertical condensers on opposite sides of the turbine exhaust chamberv and connect the same thereto by-flexiblejoints. 'I'fcon,

nect the condensers, to each other by tie rods,

5 through Whichthe atmospheric-pressures on condensers and a generator dr ven the turblne; and, Y

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view as seen from the line IIIIII.ofFig. 3.01

a high pressure turbine and a low pressure turbine 11, the motive fluid discharged from.

the high pressure turbine being conveyed 35; through a receiver pipe 12 tothe low pressure turbine. The two turbines .driveanelectric generator 13. The high pressure'tubine 10. h V

-, in the direction toward the exhaust cham- 7 ber. By means of the struts 28, however, the atmospheric pressures on the two condensers issupported on theconc'rete foundation 1a..

The low pressure turbine 11 is disposed over a pit 16 formed in the foundation 14, and a portion of the casing projects down into the pit. The casing is formedwith support f ing feet 17, shown in Fig. 3,.wh1ch rest on the foundation 14;

lud s afitting-18.whichdepends from and is rigidly {attached to the main portion of the casing- Thefitting 18 constitutes an exhaust chamber for conveyingthe motivefluid exhaust from the low pressure turbine-to two In accordance with my nvention, I-dis-"- Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the turbine,,

"Referring nowto the drawings more in detail, I show a compound unit compr sing The casing of the low-pressure turbine 11 connected to the inlets 23'and'2t of the con:

densers 19 and 20 by means of flexible or ex: panslon joints and 26, respectively. 7 The joints maybe of any suitable form known in the art, for example, they may.

consist of heavy sheet rubber." Theypermit movement relative to the. exhaust chamber 18 in any direction. The flexible joints are 11. They are shown as mounted on piers 27 resting on the floor of the pit. The, C011? densers are rigidly connected to each other by a plurality of I-beam struts 28, which are disposed. in parallel vertical planes, and the 7 areas of said planes defined by the flexible bolted at their ends to, the respective condensers, as shownin Fig. .3, .the struts extend through openings 29 in the foundation;

I, Thecondensers 19 and 20 are constructed in-any manner known in the art, for-example, as disclosed and claimed in the. application of Joseph P. Lidiak, Serial No. 182,881,

' filed Sept. 18, 1930. Circulating water is supplied through a tunnel 30 in the foundation..

In operation, pressure within the ex-,

haust chamber and in the condensing spaces of the condensers is considerably below at.- mospheric pressure, so that the atmospheric pressure on each condenser on the, side op-' posite the inlet is eflective to bias the same are imposed against each other, and eflects are neutralized.

From the above description, it will be seen that I have provided a construction wherein the'atmospheric pressure on a condenser flexibly connectedto an exhaust chamber is counter-balanced by atmospheric pressure in the opposite directionactingon a pressureneutralizing member and transmitted through struts to the condenser. In the present embodiment, each condenser is a pressure-neutralizing member for the other condenser. Y

While I have shown my invention in but one form, 'it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that'it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications, without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as are. specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is: Y

1.-,The combination of a turbine casing having an exhaust chamber, a condenser, a flexible oint connecting the condenser to the exhaustech amber, a pressure-equalizing member disposed on the side of the exhaust chamber opposite the condenser, a flexible joint connecting the pressure-equalizing member to the exhaust chamber, the cross-sectional areas of the-openings defined by the flexible joints being substantially equal, and means for transmitting the atmospheric pressure on, the pressure-equalizing member to the condenser'to neutralize the atmospheric pressure on the latter. a j

,2. The combination of a foundation, an" elastic fluid turbine casing havingan exhaust chamber, said casing being supported on the foundation, a condenser receiving the exhaust from the turbine, a flexible joint connecting the condenser to the exhaust cham-: her, the concenser'being supported on the foundation independently ofthe turbine'cas ing, aQpressure neutralizing member and a flexible joint connecting the same to the opposite side of the exhaust chamber, said member being subjected on its outer side toatmospheric pressure and on its inner side to theabsolutepressure within the exhaust" chamber, and means for transmitting the. atmospheric pressure on the pressure-neu-r tralizing member to the condenser to neu-V tralize the atmospheric pressure-on the lat e r 3. The combination of a foundation, an elastic fluid turbine casing having an exhaust chamber, said casing being supported on the foundation, a condenser receiving the exhaust fromjthe turbine, a flexible joint connecting the condenser to the exhaust chamber, a pressure-balancin g member and a flexible joint connecting the same to the opposite side of the exhaust chamber, the condenser and the pressure-balancing member being supported on the foundation independently .of the turbine casing, the pressure-balancing member being subjected on its'outer 'side to atmospheric pressure and on its inner side to the absolute pressure within the exhaust chamber, and a compression member between i the condenser and pressure-balancing mem-,

her for imposing the atmospheric pressures nssaeee of the turbine casing, a flexible oint connecting the condenser to one side of the exhaust chamber, a pressure-neutralizing member and a flexible joint connecting the same to the opposite side of the exhaust chamber, said member being subjected on its outer side to atmospheric pressure and on its inner side to the absolute pressure Within the exhaust chamber, and strutsrigidly tying together the condenser and the pressure-neutralizing member fortransnnttmg the atmospheric pressure on the member to the condenser to neutralize the otherwise unbalanced atmospheric pressure on the latter. 7 V V V 5. The combination of a turbine casing having an exhaust chamber, means for supporting the casing, vertical condensers disposed on opposite sides of the exhaust chamber, flexible joints connecting the condensers to the opposite sides of the exhaust chamber, and.

connecting members between said condensers for transmitting the'force of the atmospheric pressure on either condenser to the other condenser to balance the force 'of the atmospheric pressure on the latter, and means for supporting the condensers independently of the turbine casing.

6. The combination of a. foundation, a turbine casing supported on the. foundation, two vertical condensers disposed on opposite sides of the turbine casing'andreceiving the exhaust therefrom, said condensers'being sup- ,7

ported on the foundationindependently of the turbine casing, flexible joints connecting the condensers to the opposite sides of the turbine casing, the cross-sectional areas of the connections formed by the'flexible joints bein substantially equal, and compression mem ers between said'condensers through which'the atmospheric pressures on the ,condensers are imposed against and neutralize each other.

7. The combination of a foundation, a turbine casing supported on the foundation, two vertical condensers disposedon opposite sides of the turbinecasing and receiving the exhaust therefrom, said condensers being supportedon the foundation independently of the turbine casing, flexible oints connecting the condensers to the opposite sides of the turbine casing, and means for balancing the at mospheric pressures an said condensers against each other comprising'st 1 ts rigidly connecting said condensers.

8. The combination of a foundation, a turbine casing supported on the foundations, two

vertical condensers disposed on opposite sides of the turbine casing and receiving the exhaust therefrom, said condensers being supported on the foundation independently of the turbine casing, flexible oints Connecting the condensers to the opposite sides of the turbine casing, the cross-sectional areas of the 1 connections formed by the flexible joints be= ing substantially equal, and means for balancing the atmospheric pressures on said condensers against each other comprising struts rigidly connecting said condensers.

9. The combination of a foundation, a turbine casing having an exhaust chamber and supported on the foundation, two vertical condensers disposed on opposite sides of the exhaust chamber and receiving the exhaust therefrom, said condensers being supported on the foundation independently of the turbine casing, flexible joints connecting the condensersto the opposite sides of the exhaust chamber, the cross-sectional areas of the connections formed by the flexible joints being substantially equal, and compression members between said condensers through which the atmospheric pressures on the condensers are imposed against and neutralize each other.

10. The combination of a foundation, a turbinecasing having an exhaust chamber and supported on the foundation, two vertical condensers disposed'on opposite sides of the exhaust chamber and receiving the exhaust therefrom, said condensers being supported on the foundation independently of theturbine casing, flexible joints connecting the condensers to the opposite sides of the exhaust chamber, and means for balancing the atmospheric pressures on said condensers against each other comprising struts rigidly connecting said condensers. a

11. The combination, of a foundation, a turbine casing having an exhaust chamber and supported on the foundation, two vertical condensers disposedon oppositesides of the exhaust chamber and receiving the exhaust therefrom, said condensers being supported on the foundation independently of the turbine casing, flexible joints connecting the condensers to the opposite sides of the exhaust chamber, the cross-sectional areas of the connections formed by the flexible joints being substantially equal, and means for balancing the atmospheric pressures on said condensers against each other comprising struts rigidly connecting said condensers.

In testimony whereof,'I- have hereunto subscribed my name this 27th day of Feb., 1931. ROBERT C. ALLEN; 

